The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity (17 page)

Chapter 17

2122 North Clark Street

‘
WE SURRENDER!
’
Uncle Percy shouted
without hesitation. He stood up, threw his gun to the ground and held up his
hands.

‘
No!
’
Becky yelled back.
‘
Don
’
t you dare! Not on my
account.
’

Will looked over and sighed. Making sure he wasn
’
t seen, he unlooped
the quiver and squeezed the Joe-Bow, which promptly retracted into its smaller
form. Then he slipped them both into his pocket, before standing, hands raised.
A disgruntled Bruce completed the surrender.

‘
You didn
’
t have to do that for
me,
’
Becky
said.

Uncle Percy ignored her.
‘
We
’
ve surrendered, Chapman,
’
he said.
‘
Lower the knife.
’

Chapman smiled nastily and leaned into Becky
’
s ear.
‘
You may not like me
now, but one day your heart will be mine.
’
He let the scalpel fall to his side and
weakened his grip on Becky
’
s neck.

The sweet, sickly smell of his cologne filled her nostrils as she
wrenched herself away. Racing into Uncle Percy
’
s open arms, she felt contaminated, as if a
thousand baths couldn
’
t wash Chapman
’
s stench from her.

Suddenly, the distant wail of police sirens cut the air. Moving
quickly, Capone turned to one of his henchmen.
‘
Frankie, get the wounded to Milwaukee Avenue.
Get Doc Juliani to patch
‘
em up. I
’
ll meet you at the Lexington in one hour. Anyone asks where I am, I
’
m in Florida, you
follow?
’

‘
Right, boss,
’
the gangster replied.

Capone turned to Uncle Percy.
‘
Limey, I
’
m a reasonable guy, but one more stunt like
that and I
’
ll crack all your skulls open with a bat. You catch my drift?
’

‘
Your drift is indeed
caught,
’
Uncle Percy replied flatly.

A few moments later, Becky trailed the others back into the police
van. This time, however, Capone and two armed Associates accompanied them
inside. Becky watched as Capone scolded the driver and the other two gangsters
who had now regained consciousness but were still groggy. Then he sat down and
waved his pistol at Sweet Sue, who lay in a gleaming heap on the roadside.
‘
Hey, cowboy, where d
’
you get a motorcycle
like that?
’

‘
A shop in Frisco,
’
Bruce replied
disdainfully.
‘
Just overlookin
’
Alcatraz Island. Maybe you
’
ll get to see it one day.
’

Capone was about to respond when the sound of sirens swelled
outside.
‘
2212
North Clark Street. NOW!
’
he bellowed at the driver.

Before Becky could catch her breath, they were hurtling through the
city at a breakneck speed.
 
Snow was
falling now like icing sugar, coating the landscape in a silvery haze as the
tall, grand buildings of the city center were replaced by smaller residential
properties.

Becky had no idea how long they
’
d been driving when the van pulled up in front
of a large redbrick building, the Cadillac trailing close behind. A thin,
pointy-faced gangster wearing a gray fedora hat opened a set of heavy wooden
doors. The van turned into the building and continued down a steep incline into
a sprawling dimly lit warehouse.

Numb with fear, Becky looked around. Naked bulbs hung from the
ceiling, illuminating a large truck, chained to which was a German Shepherd dog
that barked noisily as it paced in a circle. Then she shivered with horror.
Three of Capone
’
s men were pointing machine guns at seven disheveled looking men sat
on the floor, their hands bound with thick rope. She remembered Uncle Percy had
mentioned seven victims during the Saint Valentine
’
s Day Massacre. But
where did it leave them? She glanced at Uncle Percy, looking for some semblance
of hope. She didn
’
t see any.

Capone threw open the van
’
s doors and growled,
‘
What
’
re you jerks waitin
’
for?
’

Becky followed the others out. Looking over, she saw Chapman exit
the Cadillac, glance at his wristwatch and whisper something to Otto Kruger,
who nodded his agreement. Then Chapman marched over, his scalpel glinting in
the half-light and grabbed Uncle Percy
’
s arm, dragging him out of earshot.

‘
I shall make this
perfectly simple, Mr Halifax,
’
Chapman said when he was certain he couldn
’
t be heard.
‘
You know only too well
who I am and what I
’
m capable of doing. What I enjoy doing. The simple truth is, you will
die here this very morning, in this warehouse, beside your archer friend and
the cowboy. The children, however, will be leaving with me.
’

To Chapman
’
s frustration, Uncle Percy looked calm, serene even.
‘
That
’
s not going to happen,
I
’
m
afraid.
’

Chapman
’
s temple twitched.
‘
Oh, but it is.
’
His eyes flitted over to Becky.
‘
And whether I introduce the girl to my blade or
not depends on the answer you give to this question: What do you know of the
Box of Eternity?
’

‘
The Box of Eternity,
eh? Is that what we
’
re calling it? Anyway, I know very little. I know you
’
re looking for it. I
also know that I
’
ll find it before you do, and Emerson Drake will be denied another
one of his little relics.
’

‘
Your self-assurance
surprises me, Mr Halifax,
’
Chapman sneered.
‘
Surely it
’
s somewhat unfounded considering your death is but seconds away.
’

‘
Heard it all before,
George,
’
Uncle Percy replied. Then his voice lowered to a whisper.
‘
And if you remember, I
’
m a time traveller. A
second is an age…
’

Chapman laughed coldly before turning to Capone.
 
‘
Mr Capone, shall we execute
Mr Drake
’
s plan.
’

Snatching a rifle from one of his men, Capone aimed it at Uncle
Percy, Will and Bruce.
‘
Against the wall, boys. Fraid you
’
ve made yourself some pretty powerful enemies.
Ones that pay well, too…
’

On Chapman
’
s signal, an Associate advanced on Becky. Before she knew it,
powerful arms had enfolded her.
‘
Get off me!
’
she screamed, kicking and punching wildly as she was carried away
from the wall.

A second Associate moved towards Joe, but Joe anticipated it and
threw a punch.
 
With a sneer, the
Associate caught Joe
’
s fist and twisted it behind his back.

‘
Arghh,
’
Joe shrieked in pain.

Will made to leap at Joe
’
s attacker when Uncle Percy
’
s firm hand held him back.
‘
No, Will,
’
he pressed in a low
voice.
‘
Remember
what I showed you last week!
’
Then he shouted over to Becky and Joe.
‘
Don
’
t struggle, Becky,
Joe. Everything
’
s just fine. It
’
s all in hand… No biggie!
’

Capone began to laugh.
‘
Just fine, he says.
’
He looked over at one of his men.
‘
Hey, Mikey. Looks like we got ourselves a
comedian.
’

‘
Sure looks that way,
boss,
’
the
gangster replied.

Instantly, the smile fell from Capone
’
s face.
‘
Sadly for you, limey, I ain
’
t in a jokin
’
mood.
’
He cocked the gun.

Becky
’
s mouth went dry

Uncle Percy, however, looked unflustered.
‘
Now, if we
’
re going to do this
properly, I believe it
’
s courtesy to allow the condemned man a few last words.
’

Chapman
’
s eyes narrowed.
‘
Shoot him, Capone. Do it now!
’

Capone ignored him.
‘
Last words?
’

‘
Well
–
word
, really …
’
Uncle Percy cleared his throat and held up his hand as if ushering
someone over.
‘
Taxi!
’

Just then, Becky saw something gleam silver in his hand:
his car
keys.

All of a sudden, a
snap
echoed outside, followed by the roar
of an engine and a piercing squeal. BOOOOM!
 
The garage doors exploded and Beryl emerged through a cloud of splinters
and dust. She thundered down the slope to be met by a mass of incredulous
faces, screeching to a halt between Uncle Percy and Capone. A single beep of
her horn blasted out and her front and rear doors shot open.

Uncle Percy turned to Will.
‘
Now, would you care to do your thing, William?
’

‘
As you wish,
’
Will replied, pulling
the Joe-Bow from his pocket. It extended in his grip.

Bewildered and disorientated, Capone saw Will fix an arrow to his
bowstring. Promptly, he raised the gun and took aim, but it was too late. As
his finger found the trigger, Will unleashed an arrow. Slicing the air, it shot
up the gun
’
s barrel. Capone pulled the trigger.
Click.
Nothing happened.

Joe panted with astonishment. It was the single best shot he had
ever seen.

Gangsters and Associates alike began to grasp just what was
happening.

‘
Becky, Joe ... jump
in,
’
Uncle
Percy yelled.

Becky dived on to Bertha
’
s back seat, followed by Joe, who slammed the door shut behind him.
PEOWW. A bullet cracked against Beryl
’
s side window. To Becky
’
s amazement, it didn
’
t shatter. A split
second later, a storm of bullets thumped into Beryl. The noise was deafening. However,
not a single bullet penetrated the bodywork.
Beryl was bulletproof!

‘
In you go, Bruce!
’
Uncle Percy shouted,
pushing a disorientated Bruce onto the backseat. Then he jumped onto the driver
’
s seat and looked back
at Will, who had just loaded another arrow.
‘
Will…We
’
re leaving. Get in!
’

Will didn
’
t hear him. His eyes had found Otto Kruger. As if in slow motion,
both men stared at each other. Then Kruger raised his pistol quickly, cocking
the hammer. Not having time to ready his aim, Will let an arrow fly. BANG! The
bullet missed. Kruger was about to take a second shot when -
whizz
–
the arrow sliced his
right cheek. Blood splashed his face.